The Cone & Tee Drill is an instructional drill to train and develop a short path to the ball.  It is a great way to introduce swing mechanics without overloading the young hitter mentally.  Use the prop of a physical barrier to fight a long swing (“casting”), a drooping barrel (“uppercut”), or collapsing backside.  The Cone & Tee Drill is a good drill for developing power as it trains the barrel to stay “though the ball”.  DC Partner Coach Chris Malec explains this concept as the hands leading the swing.  Power is created as the barrel stays in the hitting zone a long time and drives “THROUGH” the ball.

EXECUTION – Utilize a batting tee and another tall prop.  This can be a second tee that can be extended vertically to above the baseball, a skinny traffic cone, or a pool ‘noodle.’  The batting tee is placed at a position where the hitter’s front foot strides just behind the ball.  Place the cone, noodle, or other prop just outside the batting tee (away from the hitter).  Allow the cone to do the teaching as the athlete is instructed to:

“Swing hard and avoid the cone”

DC KEYS

1. Baseball Logo to Athlete – Position the ball on the tee so that the baseball’s logo points directly to the athlete.  This gives hitter a “top/inside” target to hit.
2. Chest Stays to Home Plate – Athletes should visualize keeping their chest facing home plate as long as possible.  This fights “pulling off” or “flying open” with the front shoulder and allows the hands to work directly inside and through the baseball.
3. Ball Flight Middle – Feedback for proper execution is a result of groundballs and line drives middle to opposite field.  Athletes should wear out the back of the cage and slight opposite.

EQUIPMENT LIST